Phrase guide

dialect continuum

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A range of dialects that vary slightly across a geographical area, but whose differences accumulate over a certain distance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dialect chain

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Basque: dialekto-continuum — a range of dialects
  • Basque: continuum dialektokoa — a range of dialects
  • Catalan: contínuum dialectal — a range of dialects
  • Catalan: continu dialectal — a range of dialects
  • Chinese Mandarin: 方言連續體 /方言连续体 (fāngyán liánxùtǐ) — a range of dialects
  • Dutch: dialectcontinuüm — a range of dialects
  • Finnish: murrejatkumo — a range of dialects
  • French: continuum dialectal — a range of dialects
  • West-Frisian: dialektkontinuum — a range of dialects
  • German: Dialektkontinuum — a range of dialects
  • Greek: διαλεκτικό συνεχές (dialektikó synechés) — a range of dialects
  • Hungarian: dialektuskontinuum — a range of dialects
  • Hungarian: nyelvjáráskontinuum — a range of dialects
  • Polish: kontinuum dialektalne — a range of dialects
  • Portuguese: contínuo dialetal — a range of dialects
  • Russian: диале́ктный конти́нуум (dialéktnyj kontínuum) — a range of dialects
  • Spanish: continuo dialectal — a range of dialects
  • Spanish: contínuum dialectal — a range of dialects
  • Spanish: contínuum geolectal — a range of dialects
  • Spanish: complejo dialectal — a range of dialects
  • Spanish: continuo geolectal — a range of dialects
  • Spanish: complejo geolectal — a range of dialects
  • Ukrainian: діале́ктний конти́нуум (dialéktnyj kontýnuum) — a range of dialects
  • Vietnamese: chuỗi phương ngữ — a range of dialects
  • Vietnamese: dãy phương ngữ — a range of dialects